Cork “first” with ICAO wildlife expert

Cork claims to be the first airport in the world to have qualified International Civil Aviation Organisation Wildlife Control Operators.

In 2015, Kieran O’Regan a Station Officer within the Airport Police at Cork Airport took on a Dublin International Aviation Training Academy (DIATA) project to draft a new worldwide document for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in relation to the training of Wildlife Control Operators under the leadership of Eoin Ryan, Vice President of DIATA.

As part of the validation process by ICAO, a course was delivered to members of the Airport Police Fire Service by Airport Fire Officer Kevin Dunne (ICAO Instructor) and Kieran O’Regan (ICAO Subject Matter Expert).

Last week saw the first ICAO qualified Wildlife Operators in world stationed at Cork Airport. It is expected that the course will be rolled out to other airports worldwide shortly.

Speaking at the presentation, AFO Kevin Dunne said: “We are very proud to have had the opportunity to be associated with this ICAO course and the manner in which our members have embraced the chance to enhance their expertise and knowledge in this area, which is a core function of the Fire Service here at Cork Airport.”

To mark this achievement, Kevin O’Driscoll, Senior Vice President (DIATA) and Eoin Ryan, Vice President of DIATA were in Cork to present the certificates to the newly certified APFS Wildlife Control Operators.